Making a pitch for cashless transactions, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said there has been a phenomenal growth of about 25 per cent in digital payments for buying petroleum products at petrol pumps across the country post demonetisation. Cashless transactions used to be 10 per cent of sales before the withdrawal of 1000 and 500 rupee currency notes, and now it has come to about 25 per cent in the country, Pradhan said at a function organised in Thiruvananthapuram to create awareness among customers on cashless payments.

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The growth of digital payments in petrol and diesel sale in Kerala comes to around 20 per cent, he said. Out of 55,000 petrol pumps in the country, about 40,000 are now equipped with digital payment methods and the rest would be supplied with POS terminals in a few months, he said.

“All possible options of cashless transactions are being looked upon,” he said. On the incentive offered by the Ministry for consumers using digital payment route, he said the 0.75 discount on petrol and diesel is directly credited to their bank accounts.

“Demonetisation is a constructive step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a challenging task and things are settling down…people of the country have accepted the policy,” he said.

Earlier at a function here, marking conclusion of a 24-hour fast by BJP state president Kummanom Rajasekheran against “anti-people” policies of LDF government in Kerala, Pradhan hit out at the Opposition parties, saying “the policy has caused inconvenience to those who has stashed illegal money”.

Rejecting the Opposition charge that it was the corporates who would be benefited by demonetisation, Pradhan asserted that the common man and poor in the country are the real beneficiaries.

He said the BJP government at the Centre is committed for the state’s development. In this regard, he said expansion work of Cochin refinery was progressing well.

He lashed out at the LDF government for “mismanagement” of public distribution system and said it has deprived ration, rice and other food items to the needy.